Travel Agent vs Book Yourself - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

manateesmom · 12-18-2012, 11:28 AM

I've also booked with a TA that offers no deposit sales. When I'm booking a year or more out, I don't want to tie up the deposit money unnecessarily. Also, it allows us to book a cruise that interests us immediately, rather than shifting around any money or waiting until payday. No deposit and OBC are the only reasons we use a TA.

su_A_ve · 12-18-2012, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manateesmom

I've also booked with a TA that offers no deposit sales. When I'm booking a year or more out, I don't want to tie up the deposit money unnecessarily. Also, it allows us to book a cruise that interests us immediately, rather than shifting around any money or waiting until payday. No deposit and OBC are the only reasons we use a TA.

No deposit? Is the TA insane? DCL requires the deposit - and the money has to come out of somewhere. If it doesn't come from the customer, it has to come from the TA, who is tying up their own money.

This will even create problems later on, specially if using Disney Visa...

camsdad · 12-18-2012, 07:02 PM

We rebook on the ship, them transfer the reservation to Tracie with Dreams Unlimited and will always do so. Top-notch customer service, TWO on-board credits (total of $375 last week), and a wonderful gift basket waiting in our room when we arrive. Give her a call or email; you won't regret it.

lodge · 12-18-2012, 07:11 PM

Our travel agent, when we use them for other than Disney stuff, charges a booking fee. They are able to price shop, keep an eye on the best deals, but with DCL there are no lower fares other than what is found on their site. For that reason, we book ourselves and remove the hassle of calling/emailing to do any changes. I do like the idea of what the DIS sponsor offers, though.

Sleepyluke · 12-19-2012, 03:43 PM

We have always booked ourselves and found it to be very easy to do. Having said that, I have seriously thought about booking for the OBC and the help of having someone else sit on the phone (which I don't do) just book online as said before.

I don't want to start a giant problem, but if even the transferred reservations can get OBC of $200 plus at times, and then they give more for original OBC, at least to me, they are receiving roughly $500 or more off of the cruise (yes I know, commision, but same net end result) so in theory, DCL is paying them for me to have done the work to receive a cheaper cruise. They can not pay the bills if they give me $200 of the $500 and then pay the agent and pay the light and water bills and any admin folks.

I fully understand supporting everyone I can, and shop local and small all the time, AND my uncle used to own a travel agency, so I see that side as well, but at the end of the day, I would rather have that $500 off of my cruise.

Service as a whole seems to be a dying industry and that is unfortunate in our society of instant and more more more, but at the end of the day I am glad we can still have the option of TA vs non TA and that we can go on a cruise and be pampered like we don't deserve......

12-18-2012, 11:28 AM	#16
manateesmom Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 172	I've also booked with a TA that offers no deposit sales. When I'm booking a year or more out, I don't want to tie up the deposit money unnecessarily. Also, it allows us to book a cruise that interests us immediately, rather than shifting around any money or waiting until payday. No deposit and OBC are the only reasons we use a TA. __________________

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12-18-2012, 07:02 PM	#18
camsdad Earning My Ears Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 58	We rebook on the ship, them transfer the reservation to Tracie with Dreams Unlimited and will always do so. Top-notch customer service, TWO on-board credits (total of $375 last week), and a wonderful gift basket waiting in our room when we arrive. Give her a call or email; you won't regret it.

12-18-2012, 07:11 PM	#19
lodge DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 552	Our travel agent, when we use them for other than Disney stuff, charges a booking fee. They are able to price shop, keep an eye on the best deals, but with DCL there are no lower fares other than what is found on their site. For that reason, we book ourselves and remove the hassle of calling/emailing to do any changes. I do like the idea of what the DIS sponsor offers, though.

12-19-2012, 03:43 PM	#20
Sleepyluke Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 330	We have always booked ourselves and found it to be very easy to do. Having said that, I have seriously thought about booking for the OBC and the help of having someone else sit on the phone (which I don't do) just book online as said before. I don't want to start a giant problem, but if even the transferred reservations can get OBC of $200 plus at times, and then they give more for original OBC, at least to me, they are receiving roughly $500 or more off of the cruise (yes I know, commision, but same net end result) so in theory, DCL is paying them for me to have done the work to receive a cheaper cruise. They can not pay the bills if they give me $200 of the $500 and then pay the agent and pay the light and water bills and any admin folks. I fully understand supporting everyone I can, and shop local and small all the time, AND my uncle used to own a travel agency, so I see that side as well, but at the end of the day, I would rather have that $500 off of my cruise. Service as a whole seems to be a dying industry and that is unfortunate in our society of instant and more more more, but at the end of the day I am glad we can still have the option of TA vs non TA and that we can go on a cruise and be pampered like we don't deserve......